Arlington man accused of firing at teens on his land

Published 10:56 pm Monday, September 22, 2008

ARLINGTON — He told police he just wanted to scare off the teenage couple.

They were scared, all right. They were terrified for their lives.

The blast from the 12-gauge shotgun broke out the back window just inches from their heads. They heard more gunfire and realized their only escape was blocked by a large semi-truck parked across the road.

“It was like some kind of movie,” Snoho­mish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said.

The alleged shooter, Raymond Lane, was charged last week with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, a felony. Lane, 56, is accused of opening fire on two high school students in August while the couple was parked on a baseball field on his Arlington property, court documents said.

“He could’ve killed someone,” Matheson said.

Lane reportedly told police he was protecting his property from vandals, Matheson wrote. Lane debated calling police to run the trespassers off but he said he had to get up early for work and didn’t want to wait for Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies, court documents said.

The teens, 16 and 17, told police they parked on the property after a friend told them about the baseball field. They said they were in the back seat of a 1999 Saab, drinking coffee and looking at the stars, court documents said. About 15 minutes later, they heard what they thought were fireworks.

Then the back window of the car shattered. The boy scrambled to the front seat to drive away from the unseen shooter. They heard two more rounds fired at the car. As they tried to get away, they realized someone — they presumed the gunman — had parked a large semi-truck in the only road leading off the property, Matheson wrote.

The boy drove to a nearby rental house on the same property and asked a stranger to call 911.

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies raced to the scene. They saw the big rig blocking the road. They also saw a man walking toward them, court documents said.

The man was identified as Lane. He allegedly told deputies he fired the shotgun and the gun was lying next to the truck, Matheson wrote.

Lane reportedly told police that the baseball field on his property was recently damaged by vandals driving on the grass and spinning out on it. Lane said he saw the car drive onto the field between the first and second baseline. He went home, grabbed a shotgun and returned to the field, court documents said. He set up near a tree and waited about 15 minutes, Matheson wrote.

He told police he decided that whoever was parked in the car was probably doing drugs or having sex, according to court records. He told police he debated whether or not to call police, Matheson wrote.

Lane decided it would take too long for deputies to show up so he decided to just “scare them bad enough so they don’t come back,” court records said.

He told police he fired a couple of rounds low toward the car, Matheson wrote. When nothing happened, he aimed a little higher. He saw the car start driving out.

Deputies found four spent shotgun shells near the tree Lane pointed out, Matheson wrote. The car was riddled with pellet holes.

Lane told police he wasn’t scared for his life but felt he needed to protect his property from vandals.

There was no indication the teens threatened Lane or were damaging any property, Matheson said.

“You can’t shoot someone for parking on a baseball field,” he said.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.